Ps 249 Caton (the), Brooklyn NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 249 Caton (the)

PS 249 Caton is a small regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood. With an enrollment concentrated in the early grades, the school draws a student body that is primarily Hispanic and Black, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits within New York City Geographic District 17, which has faced enrollment decline over recent years despite the broader housing development activity across Brooklyn.

In mathematics, the school shows solid performance in the lower elementary grades. Third graders demonstrate proficiency at a high level, as do fourth graders, though proficiency dips noticeably by fifth grade, reflecting a pattern many schools encounter as math concepts deepen. Performance in English language arts is consistent across grades three, four, and five, staying in a range that shows competence but with measurable room for growth particularly in the upper elementary grades. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level is notably lower than reading and math, a gap that parents may want to explore further with the school, since science instruction at the elementary level is often compressed or less resourced than literacy and numeracy. Test participation is high across all tested grades and subjects, indicating the school is meeting state assessment requirements.

Relative to other schools and districts across Kings County, the overall proficiency index places PS 249 Caton in the top quartile, a meaningful position that reflects stronger performance than the median school in the county. This positioning rests substantially on the school's strong showing in grades three and four, where proficiency rates are well above the midpoint for the comparison group.

The school's student population reflects Brooklyn's demographic character. A large majority of students live in low-income households, which is consistent with the neighborhood and with many Brooklyn elementary schools. The enrollment is stable across grade levels, suggesting the school is holding its enrollment, even as District 17 as a whole has experienced decline.

One structural change affecting all District 17 schools is the adoption of a mandated reading curriculum as of fall 2024, part of the citywide NYC Reads initiative. The school is now teaching one of three city-approved reading programs chosen by the district superintendent, shifting away from principal-selected materials toward a standardized approach rooted in the science of reading. Additionally, New York State has mandated smaller class sizes over the coming years, with schools required to reach caps of twenty students in kindergarten through grade three by 2027-28. For a school like PS 249 Caton serving early elementary, this mandate will likely mean hiring and facility planning changes over the next few years.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 396%

School 96% · District 64% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 495%

School 95% · District 58% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 50% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 388%

School 88% · District 61% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 491%

School 91% · District 58% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 587%

School 87% · District 60% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 35% · ▲ 6 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #17, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income85%Higher-income100%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income91%Higher-income90%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income85%Higher-income100%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income95%Higher-income100%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income94%Higher-income100%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income81%Higher-income100%19 pp gap